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| Photo: A round clear acrylic circle Christmas ornament, with white stars, snowflakes, and the words, "Light the World" |
Nancy of Wyoming Breezes is a great example of serving others, and I was so delighted when she agreed to share with us a little bit about one of her favorite volunteer organizations, Quilt of Valor.
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| Photo: The Quilt of Valor Foundation logo: 3 red squares on top, and 3 blue squares on bottom, each with a Q, O, or V. Between the top and bottom squares is a white area, with the word "Foundation" |
I am thankful Kristi asked me to write a post about the Quilt of Valor Foundation that has awarded 204,509 quilts to military service members and veterans touched by war, and that number changes daily. Quilt of Valor has been a passion of mine for eight years, and I’m proud to have made 149 Quilts of Valor (QOV) during that time.
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| Photo: Just one of the many quilts Nancy has made. The center panel of the quilt features words and phrases such as "United We Stand," "Hero," and "Land of the Free Because of the Brave." The center panel is triple-bordered, first in blue, then creamy-white, then red. Strips of fabric radiate out from the red border to complete the quilt. |
The national Quilt of Valor group has guidelines for the
quilt sizes and the materials used. Most, if not all, of the materials are
donated by those who make the quilt tops and those who machine quilt them. The
size requirements can be found here.
Almost any pattern can be used for a QOV. Listed below are
some of my favorite sites for quilt and/or quilt block patterns. The
patterns/quilts that appeal most to the recipients are those that reflect a
patriotic theme.
• Mary Quilts - https://maryquilts.com/ideas-for-veteran-quilts/
• Quilt Blocks Galore - http://www.quilterscache.com/QuiltBlocksGalore.html
The most desperate need is for longarm quilters. All of the
QOV are machine-quilted, so the demand for volunteer longarmers is critical for
the program to succeed. If you or someone you know is a longarm quilter and
could volunteer to quilt at least one quilt a month, your service would be
greatly appreciated; simply fill out the form on this page, and the
Longarm Coordinator will contact you. When a QOV top has been pieced and a
backing prepared, the topper fills out a form to be paired with a longarmer.
After receiving a mailing address, the topper will send the top and backing to
the longarmer. The longarmer supplies the batting, thread and the time to quilt
the QOV. The quilt is then mailed back to the topper, who adds a label, binds
the quilt and sends the QOV to a State Coordinator. The State Coordinator works
with local groups in arranging award presentations.
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| Photo: An awards presentation organized by the Nebraska chapter of the QOV. They organized an all-female veteran Honor Flight to Washington, D.C. and awarded 135 women veterans a QOV. This photo shows the veterans with the quilts they chose. |
A list of State Coordinators and their contact information
can be found on this web
page. (Click on a specific state abbreviations in the blue bubbles at the
top of that page)
Individual volunteer opportunities for making a quilt top
and for machine quilting were explained above; however, the possibilities do
not stop there. Communities, churches, or individuals can host a “Sew Day” to
simple make blocks. Volunteers could be used to cut fabric, press the blocks
for those who are sewing, setting up table, arranging for a sewing site, etc.
The National QOV group has a block drive every year. The information and
pattern for the 2019 drive is located here.
Ask at a local fabric/quilt shop if an Under Our Wings
program is scheduled in your area. If not, perhaps, you and some friends could
plan to host the event. It’s a great opportunity to involve youth in this
service opportunity.
QOV also hosts a national Sew Day (posters and
information available) every year. Individuals can do this in their own home,
or groups can plan to work together on blocks or quilts on that day.
The most rewarding part of the Quilt of Valor program is
seeing the veterans’ faces when they are awarded their QOV (each veteran is
qualified to receive one QOV) in their lifetime.) Anyone can nominate a veteran
to receive a QOV by filling out this form. More
information can be found on this page.
Some communities arrange for large presentations on/near
Veteran’s Day. In my former community nearly 100 veterans
are honored each year. Boy Scouts and veteran organizations love to assist
with these large presentations.
Other times, families want private presentations, and those
can be arranged as well.
More information can be found on the Quilt of Valor website.
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I'm thankful for Nancy and for her example of service to those who serve their countlavorite charitable organization? Comment below and enter this week's giveaway. The prize is a #LightTheWorld ornament, compliments of LDSBookstore.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
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I'm thankful for Nancy and for her example of service to those who serve their countlavorite charitable organization? Comment below and enter this week's giveaway. The prize is a #LightTheWorld ornament, compliments of LDSBookstore.
(This post linked to the GRAND social.)
My daughter is an Army medic, i am thrilled when i read about any organization that reaches out to our military. Thank you so much, Nancy and Quilts of Valor!
ReplyDeleteI don't remember how I first found Nancy's blog, but I have been following her for years, and am so impressed by all the charity quilting (and knitting) she does. I'm glad she agreed to share with us about the Quilt of Valor Foundation.
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